Sapphia
by Hana Noiazei
Summary: After ten years of being completely in love with Linnea, Maren decides to take their relationship to the next level.


Maren stares down at the little black box. "I can't do this. Ouch!" She rubs the back of her head, glaring at Agata. "What the hell was that for?"

"For being stupid." Agata glares back. "Of course you can do it."

Her hand trembles as she squeezes the box tighter, her knuckles turning white as she does so. "Is it too late to back out of this?"

"Yes, it is." Tille smiles encouragingly at Maren, waving her right hand and letting her own wedding ring glint in the light. "You've already told her to meet you and you've already bought the ring. Everything's ready, so all you need to do is ask."

Feeling queasy just by looking at the box, Maren says, "what if she says no?"

Sula crosses her arms. "Bullshit. Ever since I was born I've been subjected to watching you and my sister moon over each other. You've been dating for almost ten years now, there's no way she'd say no."

"But-"

She claps a hand on Maren's shoulder, a rare smile on her face. "Just do it," Sula urges, "you'd be an amazing sister-in-law."

…

The first envelope Maren hands to Linnea earns a blush as she reads the poem out loud.

"_O soft and dainty maiden, from afar  
I watch you, as amidst the flowers you move,  
And pluck them, singing.  
More golden than all gold your tresses are:  
Never was harp-note like your voice, my love,  
Your voice sweet-ringing._

"That's one of Sappho's poems, isn't it?" Linnea carefully slips the card back into the envelope.

Maren nods, kissing Linnea on the cheek. "Glad you liked it."

Linnea gives her a strange look. "You're being strangely romantic today."

"Aw, it was nothing!" The little box in her pocket suddenly feels glaringly obvious. "Just wanted to show how much I love you."

Holding hands, they walk, the sun bright in the sky. They arrive at their destination in no time at all, and Maren pushes the gate open. "Remember this?"

Looking around the garden, she smiles. "This is where we had our first date, nine years ago. You got me a bouquet of flowers and screamed when you found a wasp inside."

"In my defence, I was fourteen and it was unexpected." Maren, still holding Linnea's hand, leads her to a bench over patches of violets and little twinflowers, running her fingers over a small carving in the stone. "Look, we even carved our names here."

"I'm surprised you remember." Linnea gazes fondly at the carving, at the amateur work of Maren's carving knife that promptly broke afterwards. "That's very thoughtful of-" a small envelope, taped to the armrest of the bench, catches her eye. "What's this?"

_ Thy form is lovely and thine eyes are honeyed,  
O'er thy face the pale  
Clear light of love lies like a veil.  
Bidding thee rise,  
With outstretched hands,  
Before thee Aphrodite stands. _

For the second time during the day, Linnea feels her face heating up and leans over to kiss Maren. "You hopeless Sapphic," she mumbles.

"Hey, I wouldn't be in love with you if I weren't a hopeless Sapphic." Maren bends down and brushes the twinflowers on the ground with her fingers. She picks a few of them and weaves them into Linnea's hair, watching as both the lilac petals and golden locks are toyed with by the wind.

Linnea touches the flowers in her hair absentmindedly. "You know me too well."

Her girlfriend pulls another envelope out of her pocket and pulls out the card. "To match your favourite flowers." She starts to read the poem out loud.

"_With flowers fair adorn thy lustrous hair,  
Dica, amidst thy locks sweet blossoms twine,  
With thy soft hands, for so a maiden stands  
Accepted of the gods, whose eyes divine  
Are turned away from her–though fair as May  
She waits, but round whose locks no flowers shine."_

She feels like her face is about to explode. Linnea buries her face in her hands, her heart beating so fast she might as well be a hummingbird. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Maren gestures towards the centre of the garden, only a few steps away. "Say, do you remember that rosebush? I got in trouble for picking one too many flowers for you."

Linnea gets to her feet and approaches the rosebush, running a finger along the soft petals of the roses. An envelope, bordered with gold calligraphy is nestled on top of the bush. She pulls it out, retrieving the card inside and reading its contents.

_Ever since that fateful day twenty years ago,  
I feel as though I can leave not your side,  
Imagined, I did, ten years ago,  
If you would be my one and only bride.  
So waited, I did, for you to return  
My love so next to me you could stand.  
And for many more years our love will burn  
If you say 'yes' as I ask for your hand._

"I, uh, wrote that one myself. I'm not as good as Sappho, that's pretty obvious, but I hope you like it."

She drops the card and whirls around, suddenly feeling faint.

Maren has bent down on one knee and holds out a box. She smiles at Linnea, that same smile she's seen since she was four. "We've been dating for ten years now, and I've thought about this for so, so long. I've loved you the moment we met and I love you even more now."

Linnea rubs her eyes, but can't stop a few tears from escaping.

"We've fought, we've laughed, we've done a lot of things together, and I want to do even more with you." Maren opens the box, revealing a silver engagement ring. "Linnea Norsdottir, will you marry me?"

She's sure that if she speaks, she'll start crying. So Linnea, looking right into Maren's bright, beautiful smile, nods a definite _yes_.


End file.
